Let's Take It From The Top

July 25, 2011

The first hint of morning light revealed the treetops of Abol Campground at Baxter State Park in Maine as the robins began their morning routine.  This was no day to lay abed and enjoy their frenetic singing from the comfort of my down sleeping bag.  Today was summit day.

I had met my hiking friend Hirsch at Abol Bridge the previous afternoon as he exited Maine's legendary Hundred Mile Wilderness.  The Wilderness is the longest section of the Appalachian Trail without a paved road crossing and I consider it one of the Trail's gems with its uninterrupted opportunity to enjoy the rugged beauty of Maine.  As per Hirsch's request, I brought two bags of fresh fruit and goodies to share with he and any other thru-hikers who happened along.  After 2160 trail miles it's fresh fruit that they crave the most.  When I found him, Hirsch was sitting at a picnic table with Peach, a young woman with whom I had lunch at Bryant Ridge Shelter on April 26 on my second last day on the trail this spring.  What a surprise!  I then spent the rest of that day shuttling hikers into and around Millinocket, their last trail town and resupply before the final climb of the Trail,  Mt. Katahdin.

Peach and Hirsch at Abol Bridge, ME

The Penobscot tribe referred to the mountain as "Katahdin" which translates as "The Greatest Mountain".  For the average AT hiker it is the greatest as it is purported to be the longest single climb along the length of the trail.  There are taller mountains but none can compare to Katahdin, a monolith visible from 30 miles away as it rises unexpectedly from the surrounding flat land.

Over many attempts to thru-hike the AT, amassing almost 4000 trail miles along the way, Mt. Katahdin has stood like a beacon drawing me onward.  Each trip south to the AT required me to pass Katahdin along the way, its snow-capped peak an image to sustain me through many long days on the trail.  Whenever I would tell other hikers where I lived they would say: "Then you must have climbed Katahdin already." 
"No...no I haven't", I'd reply, "I'm saving Katahdin for when I've completed the whole trail."
After eleven frustrating years of illness, homesickness, and injuries the goal of completing the whole trail in one year seems as elusive as ever.  Just how a mile high mountain made of granite can continue to slip through my fingers like an elusive down feather is beyond me.  The email from Hirsch asking if I wanted to summit Katahdin with him was like that elusive feather gracefully floating down to land on my still, open hand.  Here is your gift my friend.  Do with it what you will.

As I slung the small day pack with water, rain jackets, and lunch over my shoulder the trail was just visible enough for us to proceed.  We were hoping the five a.m. start would allow Hirsch some quiet time at the summit before the other thru-hikers appeared to celebrate success in their own fashion.  In order to complete a loop hike we decided to climb to the summit via the Abol trail and then descend along the AT to Katahdin Stream Campsite. 

Hirsch on Abol Trail

After 2.8 miles of steep climbing over loose scree we met up with the AT at Thoreau Spring.  From there it's an easy mile across the Tableland to the end of the Trail.  In honour of Hirsch's request for some quiet time by himself I held back while he climbed the last 500 yards to the summit. 



A Quiet Time

If that photo seems a bit blurry it's no different from the image I saw through tear-filled eyes as I took my final steps to the summit.   After eleven years and literally months on the trail here I was, only four hours drive from home, finally reaching the top of mythical Katahdin.  I'll let the following photos speak for themselves.

Hirsch at Katahdin Summit



Shuk at Katahdin Summit



Hirsch atop Katahdin, 100 Mile Wilderness in Background

As a light breeze whispered across my face I felt like a bird aloft with a view stretching to infinity.
It's interesting what a man can do with a single feather.

Of Course

April 27, 2011

A steady rain was falling as I left Thunder Hill Shelter.  The gentle kiss of each drop like a soothing apology for yesterday's hail.  Views of the valley below were obscured by the shroud of mist that covered the ridge line.
While in the shelter the previous evening I had been talking to the thru-hiker Beer Hunter about the beautiful photos of flowers that he had captured that day.  Wild azaleas, yellow orchids, and dogwoods were brilliantly captured by his lens. 
"If I recall correctly," I told him, "there is an area just north of here along the trail that has one of the world's largest stands of wild trilliums.  I'm hoping they will be out for us this year."
Within an hour the first trilliums appeared in small clusters of pink and white that dotted the trail side.  Approaching Petite's Gap the forest floor was awash with a sea of trilliums as far as the eye could see.  I have tried to capture this impressive sight in the photo below but I'm afraid it doesn't truly do justice to the magnificent display of color that surrounded me on what would prove to be my last day hiking for this spring.


Trilliums near Petite's Gap

Despite the rain the miles rolled by easily on the long descent down to the James River valley.  Two miles from the James River I met "Still Debating" and "Blue Sunshine" enjoying their lunch of bagels and peanut butter at Matt's Creeks Shelter.  Of course I stopped to chat for a few moments.
"Why don't you at least come in out of the rain for a few minutes?", they asked.
"There's no need.  It's warm.  I've been wet before.  I'll be wet again.  I'm comfortable with that."
Shortly before noon I crossed the James River Foot Bridge, the longest footbridge on the AT, named in honour of William Foot whose efforts made the bridge a reality.

Fortunately the rain stopped as I was crossing the bridge so I had a comfortable hour's wait while hitching a ride into Glasgow and then on to Natural Bridge, VA.  Unfortunately, this would prove to be the end of my AT thru-hike for now as a pre-existing health problem has sent me back home for treatment.  It is very disappointing to be off the trail when the legs are feeling strong enough to hike up and down hill all day every day without getting tired.  If treatment is successful then I hope to get out again this year to finish the portions in New Hampshire and Maine that I have not previously hiked.

There is an eastern proverb in which a Zen master, when informed that a servant had dropped and broken his favourite dish, replied as follows:
"Of course.  The dish was but mine to enjoy for a short time.  I will not cling to what was but rejoice in that which is."

Mileage to date = 776.7

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the best of times

April 26, 2011

It was the best of times
On my second day out from Daleville, VA my plan was to hike from Bobblets Gap Shelter to Thunder Hill Shelter, a distance of 24 miles.  The forecast called for temperatures of 87 degrees with afternoon thunder storms so I hit the trail at 6:30 to cover as many miles as I could while conditions were more amenable to hiking.  By 11:00 I arrived for lunch at the palatial Bryant's Ridge Shelter, a triple decker beauty that could easily sleep 20 hikers.  While there I met up again with Butter, Peach, Buddha and Indy who had left Bobblets Gap even earlier than I, 3:00 am to be exact, in order to avoid the heat.  Their plan was to cover only 5 more miles to Cornelius Creek Shelter before calling it a day at 19 miles over all.  We had a relaxing lunch enjoying the shade by the babbling brook that ran directly in front of the shelter, content in knowing that we had but few miles remaining to hike on this day.

Bryant Ridge Shelter

It was the worst of times
Shortly after 2:30 I passed Cornelius Creek on my way to Thunder Hill to the sound of distant rumbles of thunder.  "Hmmm, should I stop here for the night or keep going?  Aw, I bet I can cover the last 5 miles well before this storm strikes."  It wasn't meant to be.
One of the joys of hiking in the mountains is that foul weather can clear up at the drop of a hat.  On the flip side...that foul weather can also appear at the drop of a hat.  And so it was on this day.  About 2 miles out from Cornelius Creek, on my way up Apple Orchard Mountain, the threat of the thunder storm turned to a dramatic reality.  Crashes of thunder shook the ground under my feet as bolts of lightning danced around the ridge line.  "You know," I thought, "it's probably not a great time to be walking up toward the top of the mountain now."  Just then the skies opened up with hail and torrential rain.  Unlike the coniferous forests of the north there really is no place to run for cover in the southern deciduous forest before the trees leaf out for the summer.  So, I pulled my hat down, rounded my shoulders, and kept walking.  On these warm southern days there is no point in donning rain gear so I was soon completely soaked from head to toe.
Here's my glaringly obvious advice: Given the choice, try to avoid being outside in a hail storm.  Those little ice pellets (about 7-10mm in diameter in this case) felt like hundreds of bees stinging my head and neck and arms and back all at the same time.

It was the best of times
As I approached the summit of Apple Orchard Mountain the storm squall blew away as fast as it had arrived to reveal a beautiful meadow summit with a radar station.  Gorgeous!  Just over the summit the trail goes under "The Guillotine", a large rock that is wedged between two stone outcroppings.  The day was now perfect for photographs so I stopped to take a few to preserve the memory.

The Guillotine

I arrived at the Thunder Hill Shelter just as another of the evening's many rain squalls arrived.  What a joy it was to be in out of the rain.  After changing into my dry set of clothes, the only others I carry other than what is on my back, I relaxed and chatted a bit with Orange Bear, a hiker from Belgium who was out for a 2 month section hike.  Two more high school kids joined us in the shelter around 5:00, arriving completely soaked from another heavy rain squall.  As we sat there chatting a gentleman walked up to the shelter with a heavy looking pack and duffel bag. 
"Are there any hikers here who would like a cooked supper?  I've got eggs, sausage, pancakes and orange juice for any takers." 
"You bet.  How can we help?"
"You don't have to do anything.  I'll do the cooking and you just eat."
With that this trail angel lit his 2-burner Coleman stove and cooked us all a fabulous dinner.  What an incredible bit of trail magic! 
The gentleman's trail name was "Angle", a moniker he adopted when a former recipient of his magic sent a post card thanking him for the dinner, but had mis-spelled Angel as Angle, and the name stuck.  He comes out to this shelter every Tuesday and Thursday from the end of April to the middle of June to cook dinner for who ever is there.  He has served as few 1 and as many as 17 in one evening.  He started doing this after he supported his son during a thru-hike of the AT and then the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).  He says whenever he's having a tough day at home he tells his wife that he's "going to meet some hikers" and heads for this shelter. 
When I asked him what he finds so appealing about the hiker crowd he replied: "They are a highly educated and highly motivated group that are great to talk to.  In fact they are the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to know."
Likewise, I'm sure.




"Angle" cooking dinner at Thunder Hill Shelter


Mileage to date = 762.1

Hiking Friends

April 24, 2011

Despite comments that "March Madness" seems to be an affliction that strikes me each spring when I want to hit the trail, the name actually refers to the NCAA men's basketball tournament that is held over 3 weekends around the end of March.  As a long time basketball player and fan it can be a real "hardship" to be out on the trail during this time as there are so many exciting games to watch in a short span of time.  During my 2003 hike (760 miles from Roan Mountain, TN to Lehigh Gap, PA) I carefully planned my town days to coincide with games on the weekends of the tournament.  Needless to say, I wanted to convey the results to other thru-hikers in case they wished to join me for further viewing opportunities.  The most common communication method between hikers along the trail is the Trail Register that can be found in almost every shelter.  These registers are filled with everything from philosophical musings to drawings to the simple "I wuz here" statements that let us keep track of who's ahead and who's behind us along the trail.  After each game-watching town day I would write the latest results in the register, including a drawing of a basketball, and say where/when I planned to watch the next games. 
A young couple with the trail names "Vic" and "Irish" started their thru-hike at Springer Mt. in Georgia in the cold of February 2003.  "Vic" was short for vicarious as his support team of friends and family were hiking the trail vicariously through him.  "Irish" got her name as someone told her she must have "The luck of the Irish" to be able to go out and hike for 6 months.  Prior to our actually meeting along the trail Vic had noticed that I was making these basketball-related entries in the registers.  As a fellow fan of the NCAA tournament he decided it would be good to catch up with me and co-ordinate our game viewing.  We first met in Damascus, VA and hiked together from there to Pearisburg, VA.
The year 2003 was a particularly soggy one along the east coast so after weeks of being cold and wet the prospect of a warm, dry bed with a shower had grown particularly appealing to Irish.

Here's what I recall of one conversation:
Shuk - "The Final Four is on this weekend.  Should we plan for town days?"
Vic - "Sounds good.  What's the plan?"
Shuk - "We can see Saturday's games at the motel in Atkins, then if we hike fast we can make it to the Big Walker Motel in Bland for Monday's final game."
Vic - "Does that sound like a good idea Irish?  It would mean blowing our budget for this section of the trail."
Irish - "Are you kidding?  I never realized it before but I just love basketball."

When I think of the many great people I have met along the trail I always remember Vic and Irish for the joy and optimism they displayed regardless of what challenges the trail had for them.  I think that their engineering backgrounds helped with planning trail logistics while their history of running marathons provided the leg strength and endurance necessary to walk the trail without injury.

As the Easter weekend of my 2011 AT hike approached I decided I needed to take a little time off to recover from a recurring health concern.  Fortunately I was close to where Vic and Irish now live so I contacted them and arranged for Irish to pick me up at Daleville, VA to go spend a night at their place.  They have been blessed with two of the happiest young children I have had the pleasure to meet.  The two year old girl seemed to delight in saying "Shuk, Shuk" when asked "Who's here visiting?".  We spent the evening reminiscing about the 2003 hike, looking through the photo albums they had compiled of their journey.  I was honoured to see that I managed to squeeze into one of the group photos from the southern Virginia section.  They even mentioned how they had invoked "Shuk's Rule" : "Never walk out of town in the rain." - when they had spent an extra night in Duncannon, PA. 
Rather than send me out to a hotel for the rest of my convalescence they kindly offered to let me stay at their house for the weekend while they were away visiting relatives.  Wow, is this possible?  Indeed it was.  I had a great time enjoying the city including trips downtown to the market and some great local restaurants as they even let me use their car while I was there.
The kindness and generosity demonstrated by Vic and Irish to their hiking (and basketball watching)partner of 2003 was an example of the kind of enduring friendships I have had the honour of experiencing along the trail.  I can't thank them enough and trust we'll meet again in the near future.

Characters

"You thru-hiking?" "Where are you from?"
"Why are you hiking the trail?"
"When did you start?"
"How far today?"
"How much are you carrying?"
"What do you do?"
The questions may be common whenever hikers meet along the trail but the answers they generate seldom seem that way.  As I continue my hike along the trail I remain fascinated by the litany of characters that I meet.  In this post I thought I would mention a couple of the recent noteworthy meetings.
I first met Hirsch the day that I hiked out of Erwin, TN.  Actually, I should say that I first met his footprints in the snow in the late morning as I walked over some of the balds north of town.  I'm always scanning the trail treadway to guess how many people are ahead of me and how much they are carrying.  As I followed these signs I was particularly impressed with the foot placement on a treacherous trail as well as the fact the hiker obviously was stepping on just the balls of the feet when making steep ascents.  "Hmm, this must be an experienced hiker," I thought.  At about four in the afternoon I finally caught up with him during the descent into Greasy Creek Gap.
"Hi there, you thru-hiking?", I asked.
"Yes, I am.  Who are you?"
"I'm Shuk.  Who are you?"
"Shuk!  I've been hearing about you for days.  They say you're the fastest guy on the trail."
"If fastest means racing between towns and then taking zero days then I must be the guy.  Still, what's your trail name?"
"I don't really have a trail name.  I have just always been known as Hirsch."
"Glad to meet you Hirsch.  I'm stopping at the Greasy Creek Hostel tonight but we'll get a chance to talk more tomorrow when we meet again out on the trail."
And so we did.  During our conversations I learned that this was Hirsch's second AT thru-hike, his first being in 1999.  I also learned that he had thru-hiked the Pacific Coast Trail.  It's no wonder his steps on the trail appeared so assured.  I had the great good fortune to hike with Hirsch for the next 3 days and learned more about his fascinating story.  Despite not yet being 30 years of age he has two university degrees, spent 2 years in the Peace Corps in the South Pacific, and just completed a 5 1/2 year bicycle trip around the world before beginning his second AT thru-hike.  He was one of the most genuinely honest and caring folks I have had the honour of meeting and I hope I get the chance to hike with him some more as we both chase our dream of a Katahdin summit.

Hirsch

The second hiker of note is a young Japanese man with the trail name "V8" as he loves V8 vegetable juice.  In fact, I saw him drink a 2 liter bottle of it last night.  V8 has already hiked the Pacific Coast Trail in 2009, the Continental Divide Trail in 2010, and is now attempting to complete the final leg of hiking's Triple Crown.  He is a lean, mean walking machine whose base pack weight before food and water is only 8 lbs.  That's incredible!  He made his own pack, jacket and sleeping system and also carries a Go-Lite umbrella that he uses when its raining.  He began the trail on Mar. 25 and was in Pearisburg, VA on Apr. 20.  That calculates out to roughly 23 miles per day.  Very impressive.  I queried him extensively about what gear he was using and came up with some ideas to lighten my own pack weight.  It was fascinating to me that this young man had come to the US to hike these trails and still managed to succeed despite quite limited English language skills.  I have nothing but admiration for his determination and drive.  I suspect that today was the last time I will see him as he will be well ahead of me in no time at all.

V8

The Pearis of Virginia

Four long days of hiking have brought me to Pearisburg, VA.  I met up with a nice group of thru-hikers including Zippers and Stretch from Montana, Hellion, Finn, Vermont Dave, Hap, Brownie, and others that I can't remember.  Zippers and Stretch walk about the same pace as I so we spent each of the 3 trail nights together at shelters along the way, covering 26, 24, 24 and 17 miles.  We arrived in Pearisburg at one today and immediately went to Lone Star Chinese Buffet to eat until we could eat no more.  After 4 plates of Chinese food, mostly veggies, I can surely attest that the hiker hunger has kicked in.  It was nice to finally wash my clothes after wearing the same set for 9 straight days.  They had certainly ripened nicely.  It's a wonder the folks would even seat us at the Chinese buffet.  Perhaps they are accustomed to it as all the stinky hikers who pass through the area stop in Pearisburg to resupply.

Mileage to date = 627.0

Slacker!

Shuk, Torque, GG1 at Buzzard Rocks near Damascus, VA

Slackpacking - walking trail miles without all the gear necessary for a self-supported hike.  Considered anathema to trail purists.  Considered a blessing to those who just want to get to Maine in one piece.

After a couple of days off trail to catch up on work I met up with GG1 and Torque in Damascus as they were staying at the same inn as I (The Montgomery House).  GG1 mentioned that they had arranged for 4 days of slackpacking through Mount Rogers Outfitters and asked if I was interested in joining them.  Of course I jumped at the chance for my first slackpack.  Imagine hiking for 4 days with only water, lunch and some rain gear to carry.  How sweet is that?  Each day we were met by our shuttle driver, Gecko, a gentleman in his early 60's who has hiked the trail many times and helps hikers each spring by running shuttles for MRO.  He was a wealth of knowledge about each trail section we covered and also about what would face us further up the trail.  Over the course of the 4 days we walked from Damascus, VA through the Grayson Highlands over to Atkins, VA.  Total distance covered was a sweet 73 miles.  We saw the wild horses in the highlands, hiked through pouring rain one day, discussed every possible book and idea that came into our heads, and all in all had a great time.  I hope that I meet them again on the trail as they were a fascinating couple who retired at the end of Feb. 2011 and began their thru-hike of the AT at the beginning of March.

Mileage to date = 537.0